1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of treatment fluids and more specifically to the concentration and dilution of treatment fluids.
2. Background of the Invention
Hydraulic fracturing is a treatment typically performed on oil and gas wells to create fractures in the formation. The treatment involves pumping fracturing fluids at high pressures into the wells to create the fractures. The fracturing fluids enter the fractures to extend the fractures into the formation.
Typically, proppants are mixed with the fracturing fluid to keep the fracture open after the treatment is performed. Proppants are sized particles such as sand or ceramics. The proppants are conventionally transported with a carrier fluid. Other dry materials such as polymers may also be mixed with fluids to facilitate the treatment of the wells. The proppants and the polymers are not typically mixed with the appropriate fluids prior to the pumping operations but instead are mixed at the pumping operations (i.e., on the fly). Drawbacks to conventional use of proppants and polymers for treatment of wells includes measuring their concentrations. For instance, it is typically very difficult to measure low concentrations of proppants used in treatments such as partial monolayer treatments. Further difficulties include increased difficulties in measurements for applications introducing light weight proppants with specific gravities near the specific gravity of the carrier fluids.
Consequently, there is a need for an improved method of introducing dry materials to wells. Further needs include improved methods for preparing concentrations of proppants or other dry materials on the fly to achieve a desired concentration downhole. Additional needs include improved methods for measuring concentrations in treatment fluids.